For Blandford and surrounding villagesIssue No. 6 September 2012

FORUM FOCUS: Your FREE monthly community newspaper www.forumfocus.co.uk

Kizzy Miller is Blandford’sCarnival Princess - P18

FORUMFOCUS

by Nicci Brown

Torch thrill rekindledA challenge to Tesco Scotties Flora and Maisey welcome Olympic torch-bearer Sally

Purnell to the Blandford Grange Nursing Home. Picture by Margaret Holt.

RESCUE dogs Flora and Maisey welcomed Sally Purnell to theGrange Nursing Home in Milldown Road, Blandford, just daysafter she carried the Olympic torch through Fovant.The two Scotties, adopted through the charity Scotty Rescueby Margaret Holt of Blandford, are regular visitors to the homewhere they socialise with the residents.Sally, of Salisbury Street, Blandford, is Blandford's registrationofficer and a former Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal MilitaryPolice, who has served in Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia.She took her torch to the Grange so that residents, some ofwhom had been unable to watch it being carried through thetown, could see and touch it.

Healthy competition - or a threatto the viability of the town centre?BLANDFORD traders, threatenedby potential competition from theintroduction of new services atthe Tesco supermarket inBlandford St Mary, have thankedtheir customers and town council-lors for their support.Competition continues to raiseconcern, too, in the TarrantValley where Tarhinton Farms Ltdhas applied for planning permis-sion to convert an old cart shedinto a farm shop - a moveviewed with alarm in nearbyTarrant Gunville as direct compe-tition with the Belbins' HomeFarm Shop, but denied by theapplicants.But the comings and goings inBlandford town centre demon-strate that there's nothing wrongwith healthy competition.Two new delicatessens haveopened, followed by a third at OldJosie's Deli in the former diningroom of the Greyhound pub,opened by Claire Watson and herpartner Dorian. A leather workerhas moved in almost next door toa cobbler, seem to indicate that

businesses can operate side byside.Terri Harrison, who hasimpressed locals by keeping theoriginal Conyers motor signabove her new leathercraft shop,just yards from her old shop inWest Street and close to shoerepairers ASL Ltd, said: "Theypass customers to me and wepass customers to them."The delicatessen Dorset Larderspecialises in game and directlyreplaces Bilslands butchers, whichclosed in May in the Market Place.The Feisty Pheasant, just up theroad in Salisbury Street in the for-mer Treads youth information cen-tre and run by Mark and VivBurroughs who previously ran thegreengrocers in Greyhound Yardopposite Morrisons, is focusing onlocally produced speciality foods.But confirmation has come of apotential change of use of the HalfCrown Cafe in the Market Place,which closed on 16th August. It is understood that Scrivens, theopticians, are planning to movethere from their Salisbury Streetpremises, pending planning per-mission.

A PERCEIVED threat to business-es in the town from supermarketTesco has been challenged byBlandford Town Council.It has asked the store to defendits decision to introduce retailingwhich they view as directly affect-ing a number of sole traders inthe town centre.In a letter to the company, council-lors have invited a senior Tescorepresentative to address a publicmeeting and asked whether anybusiness impact assessment wascarried out before a key cutter, drycleaner, locksmith and butchery

were added to the in-store facili-ties.Scott Bryant, who runs the lock-smith and shoe repair businessASL in West Street, said: "Weappreciate what the town councilhas done and what our cus-tomers have been saying. We'renot happy about the recentdevelopments at Tesco, butthere's nothing much we can doabout it. "The trouble is that people naturallyassume that Tesco will be cheaperthan us, which is not the case."

To Page 2

September 20122

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A challenge to TescoFrom Page 1Trina Horrocks, president of theBlandford Chamber of Trade,said: "People know they can getbetter value and personal servicein the town."The council accused the compa-ny of failing to adhere to its ownpolicy of supporting the local

EVER been short of money and looking for a quick solution? Need to findout how to avoid getting deep into debt? Help and advice are on hand inthe Corn Exchange in Blandford between 1.30pm and 5pm on Saturday15th September.Wendy Loades from the national 'Stop Loans Sharks' team, will help youto identify the illegal loan sharks who prey on those in need. First DorsetCredit Union will be on hand to explain how they can help, not only withsavings and loans but also other services such as their own Visa card.Spectrum Signpost Housing Association will be available to advise resi-dents on how they can help. A private donor will add £10 to the first 10 new FDCU accounts openedwhen you have saved regularly for 12 weeks and providing the account isstill active (applies to first 10 accounts qualifying). To find out more popinto the FDCU Service Point in Bere's Yard any Saturday morningbetween 10am and 12pm.

Beat the loan sharksAdvertiser’s announcement

community, and of operating indirect opposition to the govern-ment-supported moves to protectthe viability of town centres.Cllr Bob Brannigan said: "Theytold us the impact on the town ofthe new extension would be mini-mal, not that they would be com-peting directly against soletraders." Cllr Andrew Pemberton: "Tescomay take no notice but the townwill see we are trying to do some-thing about it."A Tesco spokesperson saidwhenever one of their storesundergoes a change, surveys areconducted with customers to findout what they would like to see."We always listen to our cus-tomers, and the new concessionin the store provides a servicewhich meets the needs of ourshoppers," she said.

Car park pleaRiver powerfor school?

TOWN councillors have askedthat remaining developer contribu-tions for environmental enhance-ment in Blandford should beapplied to the regeneration of theChurch Lane car park, improvingpedestrian access and safety, andlinking in with their proposals forthe Corn Exchange and counciloffices for which planning permis-sion is being sought.

PEOPLE living in Barnes Close,Blandford, took up the challenge toclean up their neighbourhood dur-ing a tidy-up day on their estate.The volunteers included youngSpectrum Signpost residents whotook to the streets with litter pick-ers to help tidy up their area andcollected an impressive four bagsof rubbish, including one for recy-cling.Assisted by members of their localNeighbourhood Team and withadvice from Clean Up Blandford,estate caretaker Dave Simpsonand the Hope 2 Grow charity, resi-dents filled two skips with rubbish,tidied their gardens and cleanedtheir streets.The day was part of SpectrumSignpost's estate strategy aimed atmaking Barnes Close a betterplace to live. Future plans includecutting back overgrown trees andhedges and improving a garagearea and, building on the commu-nity spirit generated, an end-of-summer fun afternoon.Neighbourhood Housing OfficerKate Townsend said: "We havemade a big impact in a short time.I am impressed with the contribu-tion made by our young volunteersand would like to say a big thanksto everyone who has taken part."The next Blandford Clean Up daywill be on Saturday 15thSeptember between 10am andnoon. To take part as an individual

Residents muck in totidy up their estate

or group email cleanupbland-ford@hotmail.com, and for equip-ment and advice to organise yourown community litter pick seehttp://cleanupblandford.org.uk.

A PLAN to power BryanstonSchool from an Archimedesscrew turbine installed on theweir on the river Stour inBryanston Park is being con-sidered by North DorsetDistrict Council.The application for planningpermission is submitted onbehalf of the Crown Estate byGuy Galpin of Potential EnergyProjects Ltd of Shepton Mallet,who says the scheme will pro-vide up to 160mw hours a year,enough to supply the schooland give surplus to the nation-al grid.It is based on the weir whichwas built to supply the oldpump house on the estatewhich took water and powerfrom the river to what is nowthe school. It will incorporate afish and eel pass to make theweir passable for migratorysalmon and sea trout, soimproving the aquatic environ-ment.

September 2012 3

6,000 sign petitionto oppose homesplan for meadowsA PETITION signed by nearly6,000 people - more than 60 percent of Blandford's population -was presented to the chief execu-tive of North Dorset DistrictCouncil on 20th August.The signatories, the vast majorityof whom give local addresses,are objecting to the potentialinclusion in the district's corestrategy for future development ofa site for up to 200 new homeson the Crown Meadows andBryanston Deer Park.The Crown Estate, which ownsmore than 2,000 hectares formingthe Bryanston estate, held a pub-lic consultation in January into itsplans for a site well-known for itsproximity to the flood plain of theriver Stour.But the key objection from themass of objectors, including thetown council, local parish, district

and county councillors, the threemain political parties, civic societyand the CPRE, is to the introduc-tion of hundreds of vehicleswhose only access to theplanned estate will be via thetown's already congested one-way system.It is also viewed with alarm bythose who see the site as aniconic feature in the town land-scape, a haven for wildlife, floraand fauna, including the protect-ed greater horseshoe bat.Campaigners against the propos-al, led by the Bryanston ParkPreservation Group, highlight anumber of alternatives put for-ward in the draft core strategy toproduce the 1,300 new homesconsidered necessary in theBlandford area to meet futurehousing requirements.

. . but Crown Estaterefute flooding riskTHE Crown Estate hasanswered concerns that recentflooding of the Stour heightensthe potential flood risk for homeson the site.John Cook, chairman of theBryanston Park PreservationGroup which has canvassed forthe petition to NDDC, claimedthe height of the river at over 30metres above sea level in asummer flood was too close toallow the building of up to 200houses nearby.But the landowners say thatdespite the highest levels ofrainfall in living memory andextensive flooding from the river,the proposed site for futurehousing has remained free fromflooding.The Crown Estate has issued anillustration showing the extent offlooding compared with that oftheir proposal, maintaining that ittakes issues such as floodingseriously and has asked itstechnical advisers, AMEC, toconsider recent flood informationprovided by local residents inrelation to the proposed site. The resulting information illus-trated that the extent of floodingwas still more than 100 metres

from the area of land being con-sidered for development. Development options for theland at West Blandford, say theCE, ensure that all homes willbe located in Zone 1, the areapreferred by the EnvironmentAgency for such uses, andtherefore protected from aneven more extreme 1 in 1,000-year flood event by ensuringthat all properties are above35.38 metres AOD.Steve Melligan, strategic landmanager at the Crown Estate,said: "Even after the extremeweather that we have seenrecently, the West Blandford sitehas not been affected."Blandford's district councillorswho attended North DorsetDistrict Council's planning policypanel last month highlightedwhat they believed was a"degree of movement" in thestance of the local authoritytowards the scheme in its draftcore strategy.Actions and amendments rec-ommended included lookingagain at the suitability of the sitefor any development, the num-ber of homes proposed, and thetraffic impact.

Olympic duty for JamesA FORMER Durweston Primary and Milton Abbey school pupilnow serving with the 5th Rifles found himself on a posting toenvy, guarding the beach volleyball competitions inHorseguards Parade during the London 2012 Olympics.Rifleman James Cook, the grandson of James and Lexi Cook,of Bryanston Street, Blandford, had been serving in Paderborn,and was brought over to help when private security firm G4Sfailed to supply enough people to steward the events.Part of his duties included sitting in the VIP seats on his breakwhen troops tried to fill the empty seats in the early days of theschedule.But he said the best bit was guarding the beach volleyball girls,particularly when Prime Minister David Cameron arrived with aplate of biscuits.

September 20124

Arthur Yeo with the rocking horse which won the hob-bies class and contributed to his overall win in handi-crafts at the Blandford & District Horticultural SocietyShow.

UNSEASONAL weather may havebeen to blame for a reduced numberof exhibitors for the 25th annual sum-mer exhibition by the Blandford andDistrict Horticultural Society.But one of the bonuses of the cooland the wet was a magnificent standof fuchsias, including those in theanniversary class grown from plantssupplied by Castle Gardens inSherborne.Secretary Cyril Hovard said: "Theydon't like the heat but they do likeplenty of rain. But it's been a very badseason and a lot of the classes haveonly one exhibit rather than four."Floral exhibitor Dave Eastment saidthe wet weather had contributed to ahigh number of snails which haddevoured the blossom of dahlias andother flowers.But entries overall were up and organ-isers struggled to find enough tablesto display them all in the AnnBiddlecombe Hall at TarrantKeyneston.There were special anniversary class-es in cake-making, flower and flowerarranging sections, while wood-turnerArthur Yeo of Milborne St Andrew wasa worthy winner of the handicrafts sec-tion with a rocking horse which hadbeen 18 months in the making.Dave Miles successfully defended his

Bad weather takes itstoll on show entries

record with most points for flowers andvegetables, best in show, top tray,housewife's choice and best in thevegetable classes with a pair ofcucumbers. Alan Newman won mostpoints in all classes and the anniver-sary challenge for fuchsias, with BarryGould taking most points in the flowerclasses and best gladioli awards.Other awards went to Mary Newman(most points flower arrangement), KTBillington (most points and best exhibitcookery), Rosemary Howland (wine)and Pete Eveleigh (photography).

Baby’s deathPOLICE were called to anaddress in Blandford, followingthe death of a baby girl.The baby was identified as four-month-old Jessica Stewart. Aninquest opened by the WestDorset Coroner heard that thecause of death was unexplained.A 29-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man were arrested. Theman was later released and thewoman was freed on police bail.Police are continuing with theinvestigation to ascertain whathappened.

September 2012 5

THE naming of a new road inBlandford in honour of the Riflesinfantry regiment was recognisedin style when residents were joinedby representatives of the regimentand town council at the formalnaming ceremony.Among the party were Col AndrewEdwards, Rifles colonel for Dorset,and members of C Company,based in Dorchester, together withthe Mayor of Blandford Sara Lochand deputy mayor Bob Brannigan,a retired lieutenant-colonel and gar-rison staff officer at the home of theRoyal Signals at Blandford Camp.Miss Loch said the town had firstgranted the freedom to the DorsetRegiment in 1955 and streets werenamed in their honour. "In 1955they became the Devonshire andDorsets, who were granted theFreedom in 1983, and in 2007when they became The Rifles wegave them the freedom. As a garri-son town we are very pleased toname this street after the regiment."The street on the Badbury Heightsestate was accorded the honour ofbecoming Rifles Way in accor-dance with the Town Council policyto name roads after their freemen.Col Edwards explained how thepresence of Bugler WO2 Tony Coxwas appropriate since the buglewas the symbol of the regimentand featured on the cap badge."What you have done with ussince 2007 to recognise yourcounty regiment in the way youhave has been fantastic, and oursoldiers really appreciate the sup-port they get back home," he said.

The naming party at the opening of Rifles Way on the Badbury Heights estate.

Road namehonoursthe Rifles

THE Countryside Rangers, whomanage the North Dorset Trailwayand Milldown as well as otherareas of open space, havedefended their proposals and workto remove trees from the Marshand Ham and trailway throughBlandford.The plans to fell a total of 18 treeson the Marsh and Ham met withopposition from town councillors attheir planning meeting at the endof July when town council tree offi-cer Mike Owen said: "I think it istotally unnecessary. They choppeddown the trees along the trailwayprompting a letter of concern froma member of the public."The reason for it is tidiness - theyare not in anyone's way, they arenot diseased. But to say they arerestricting the view of the riverStour is ridiculous."Councillor Harold Galpin was theonly member not to support theopposition to the proposal, sayingthat while some of the poplarsmight be kept, a number of alderstems were unimportant. Councillor Hugo Mieville said:"The rangers think it will look bet-

Rangers defend tree fellingter but it's very easy to take theopposite view. I thought we were inthe business of retaining trees, notchopping them down."Ranger Graham Stanley, after themeeting, defended their manage-

ment scheme for the site, sayingthe trees, both on the Marsh andHam and on the trailway, hadreceived no attention for a numberof years and were in need of main-tenance.

KEEP your eyes peeled for a pop-up bakery in Blandford overthe next few months, with the first due to appear in October. The pop-up bakery will feature bread baked by local enthusi-asts with the aim of testing the market for Real Bread bakedin the town, sold at down-to-earth prices. Real Bread contains only water, flour, yeast and salt, whereassupermarket bread can often contain a range of additives andpreservatives and is never baked 'in store' from start to finish. Records show that in 1901, with a population of 4,000 people,Blandford managed to support six bakers and confectioners.Now, with a population of around 10,000, there is not a com-mercial bakery in the town.The pop-up bakery is one of the first steps being taken by agroup of locals to see whether Blandford could be home to acommunity-supported bakery. The pop-up bakery couldappear at events such as markets, charity events and theYuletide Festival. If you are interested in this project then please contact either

Julie or Sarah at the DT11 Forum Community Partnership, 5Nightingale Court, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 7ED. Tel: 01258489998, email: office@dt11forum.org.uk

Bakery hopes rising

Name that roundaboutNAMES have been suggested by town councillors for the round-abouts on the Blandford bypass in response to a request fromDorset County Council.Tin Pot or Sunrise is suggested for the Higher Shaftesbury Roadroundabout, Two Gates (signifying a choice of routes) or Signallerson Wimborne Road, and Hill Top for the Salisbury Road roundabout.Clarification is being sought from DCC on how money collectedfrom companies advertising on the roundabouts will be used.

September 20126

MORE than 20 young mums andtheir babies who gathered at theBlandford Children's Centre werepart of a successful world recordbreaking bid to get the mostmothers ever breastfeeding atone time.The Big Latch On formed part ofWorld Breastfeeding Week, rais-ing awareness of the benefits ofbreastfeeding for the first sixmonths of a baby's life as recom-mended by the World HealthOrganisation to decrease the riskof childhood and adult disease.It also highlighted the work of the'Bosom Buddies' at the SureStartcentre in Black Lane, Blandford,to encourage and help first-timeand more experienced mums toshare their experience and avoidthe sense of isolation that moth-erhood can bring.Group leader Sarah Pottinger,with a babe in arms herself, said:"Mums can come here to meet ina relaxed atmosphere with theirbabies and toddlers. This groupwas the first in the country andmeets from 10.30am on Fridaysfor everyone, whether breastfeed-ing or not."

In 2011, 5,687 women participat-ed in The Big Latch-on, firststaged in New Zealand in 2005,and Sarah confirmed followingthe event that this year 8,862 hadregistered and taken part in 23countries.SureStart centre managerAmanda Davies said:

"Breastfeeding is one of the manyways in which we can supportfamilies. Children do not comewith a manual and in a rural areaparticularly it is so important thatmums do not feel isolated. Wehave our own minibus for thosewho don't have transport to bringthem in from the villages."

Mums 'latching-on' for a world breastfeeding record at theBlandford Children's Centre.

Breast is best, say mumsNEWS in BRIEFWider pavement

Quality council

Festival diary date

WORK could start in Novemberto widen the pavement in thelower part of Whitecliff MillStreet above the Kings Arms.Town councillors expressed thehope it would not prejudice thepossibility of making the higherpart of the street two-way.

BLANDFORD Town Council hasbeen reaccredited as a QualityCouncil. The accreditation willlast for four years, and mem-bers were told that the council'sportfolio submission had beendescribed as exemplary.

BLANDFORD's Yuletide Festivalwill be held on WednesdayDecember 12th. Application isbeing made for a road closurein the town centre between 4pmand 10pm that day.

September 2012 7

A TEA party and entertainment was laid on atthe Blandford Grange Care Home on 20thJuly for resident Bert Hughes to celebrate his90th birthday.Fellow residents joined him, friends, familyand guests as he cut a beautifully iced cakeand drank a glass of bubbly with staff whohave cared for him since he moved fromPhilip Road to become one of the first to livein the new home in November 2010.Guest of honour was the Mayor Sara Loch,who came in her civic role but also as church

warden at Blandford Forum Parish Churchand a friend to Bert, who when he came toBlandford became the church's parish admin-istrator, a role he filled for many years.She said: "It was a role he carried out withgreat kindness and friendliness, and for whichthe church community is particularly grateful."Born in Cleobury Mortimer, near Ludlow, in1922, the son of a farmer, he began hisextensive travels by joining the Army andserving Field Marshal Montgomery as hischef.

After the war he joined the NAAFI forcesshop and continued his travels all over theworld, to bases including Christmas Island,Gibraltar, Egypt and Germany. His last post-ing in Germany was at the NAAFI at JointHeadquarters Rheindahlen where he was incharge of the food hall with a staff of nearly100.The proximity of Blandford Camp madeBlandford the ideal place to settle when hereturned to the UK. In his spare time he likednothing better than gardening.

Bert Hughes celebrates his 90th birthday at the Grange NursingHome in Blandford with Mayor of Blandford Sara Loch.

Landmark birthday for former church stalwart

Milldown receivesGreen Flag for thefifth year runningTHE Milldown Local NatureReserve in Blandford has beenawarded a prestigious GreenFlag for the fifth consecutive yearidentifying it as one of the best inthe country.It confirms that the open space,owned and managed by NorthDorset District Council and DorsetCountryside Ranger Service, iswell-maintained and well-man-aged with excellent facilities. Cllr Michael Roake, portfolioholder for environment at NorthDorset District Council, said: "Tobe awarded a Green Flag fiveyears in a row is a truly remark-able achievement. It reflects thededication of the Rangers andcommunity volunteers who main-tain the Milldown as an ideallocation for people to enjoy pic-nics, exercise, wildlife and thesuperb views."Giles Nicholson, Senior Ranger,said: "To be awarded a GreenFlag again demonstrates the highstandards we provide for visitors

to this important Local NatureReserve, the hard work from theRangers and support from visi-tors and the community."The site has a rich variety ofwoodland, scrub, grassland anddownland, favouring many inver-tebrates, especially butterfliesand moths, and a wealth of otherwildlife, particularly in an area ofunimproved chalk grasslandknown as the Hangings, a site ofnature conservation interest.The Milldowners are a group ofusers dedicated to preserving thisprecious resource for local peo-ple and are looking for volunteersto fill the positions of secretaryand treasurer. Neither positioninvolves much time but will bene-fit from enthusiasm for develop-ing the organisation. Details of the group's aims andobjectives can be found atwww.themilldowners.org.uk andapplications can be made to J.D.Astin, Chairman, Methody, WaterLane, Durweston, DT11 0QA.

Celebrating the Green Flag for the Milldown are the North DorsetRangers, community supporters and representatives of NorthDorset District Council.

September 20128

Make the most ofyour special day

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

IT is likely to be the biggest day inyour life - and one of the moststressful. So how can you go about easingthat stress and making the wholewedding-day experience easier foryourself and your nearest and dear-est? Choosing the right people toperform key tasks and to supplyyour needs is the best way forward,so start by thinking local.Making life easier means takingadvantage of the specialist helpavailable as the big day approaches,turning to people whose job it is toensure everything runs smoothly.The to-do list and the need to makedecisions can combine to make lifefraught with difficulty. It starts withsetting the date, then there's pickingthe best man and bridesmaids, find-ing and booking the ideal venue,choosing the dress, selecting therings (remember, you may wantthem engraved), sorting out theinvitations, deciding on the styleand venue for the reception.A whole new world of professional

services can open up to you as youenter the realm of dressmakers andhirers, specialist dry-cleaners, hairstylists and beauticians, cake bakers,vehicle providers, stationery design-ers, gift providers and photogra-phers. And don't forget that whileyou're out enjoying your big day,your pets might like to share it withyou. Muddy Puddles Dorset, as fea-tured in the July issue of ForumFocus, will chaperone your petswhile you make your vows and min-gle with your guests.Looking your absolute best for theday can be left safely in the hands ofBlandford Health & BeautyCentre, which provides a wide rangeof beauty salon treatments from face

September 2012 9

and body massaging with the latestproducts, to a full body tan. It iscommitted to providing a world-class service to remember for ever.Clients who are busy during the daycan take advantage of the beautycentre's late-night opening onTuesdays, Wednesdays andThursdays.How you are turned out will speakvolumes about you, so make sureeveryone in the wedding party isneat and tidy, from grandpa rightdown to the smallest pageboy.Impressed, the Blandford dry-clean-ers, will have you all looking immac-ulate with creases in only the rightplaces. Horrocks & Webb, a leading localjeweller with over 50 years' experi-ence of the trade, was established inthe town nearly 12 years ago. Theyare keen to offer both traditionaland exciting new ideas along withtheir professional and friendly serv-ice.For couples in the Blandford area,there is a range of premises that arelicensed to conduct marriage cere-monies, including the Crown atBlandford, the Langton Arms atTarrant Monkton, Milton Abbey,Chettle House, the SpringheadTrust at Fontmell Magna,Edmonsham House, and theVictorian Barn at Woolland.And you don't have to look far tofind a wedding planner to guide you,

someone who increasing numbersof brides turn to in an effort to takemuch of the stress out of theorganisation.Francesca Bethell, events executiveat the Crown, says there has been anoticeable growth in the trend forFriday weddings, thanks to PrinceWilliam and Kate Middleton'sFriday ceremony last year. They arenow almost as popular as aSaturday wedding, she says.Francesca adds: "Wedding peak sea-son for us now tends to be April toJune, with July and August fairlyquiet, possibly because the weatherisn't as guaranteed as it used to be."The Crown Hotel is staging awedding fair on September 23rdwhen it will be promoting its spe-cial 2013 offer of a wedding for 60guests for only £2,013 to includeroom hire, chair covers, dedicatedwedding coordination, a welcomedrink, three-course meal, wine andtoast bubbly. It offers everything acouple might need for their wed-ding day in one neat package.The fair, to be held in the SealySuite between 10am and 3pm willfeature a dozen exhibitors showingwedding-related stationery and jew-ellery, photography, catering, dress-making and costume hire, and therewill be a chance to check out thefacilities at the Crown itself, includ-ing the new mirror wall in theSealy Suite.

September 201210

FOCUS on sport

Above: Kieran Young led from the start in the 25th annual run insupport of the Dorset Blind Association and Friends of BlandfordCommunity Hospital. (Above right): As did Davy Turner, aged 13,in the children's one-mile event.

Rain holds off for 25thrunning of the Valley 10k ORGANISERS of the 25th annualTarrant Valley 10 were lucky tohave the only dry day of the weekfor the 10k event on July 15th.The race started and finished atthe Langton Arms, TarrantMonkton, and although thecourse was muddy, there was agood turnout for the run, held thisyear in support of Dorset BlindAssociation and the Friends ofBlandford Community Hospital.Men's winners were KieranYoung of Bristol and West, whowas also first in the 17+ agegroup (35.35), Robert Clark ofTarrant Monkton (37.23) andSteve Claxton of TarrantMonkton, Poole Runners (38.04),with Dorset Doddlers' ReeceIngram (38.16) a close fourth andover-50s winner Ian Pollard(38.43) sixth overall.

First three ladies were SarahChaloner of Poole AC (42.26),Judith Vlaarklamp of LytchettManor Striders (45.23) and MelCarroll of Poole Runners (52.18).In the children's one-mile race,first boy was Davy Turner, aged13, (4.45), first girl Alex Daplyn,aged 11, (5.30), first under-10boy Robert Jones, aged 8, (5.27)and first under-10 girl Lily Jones,aged 7, (6.28).Sponsors included DorsetDoddlers, Launceston Farm,Imago Developments, SunriseService & MoT Centre, TarhintonFarms Ltd, Abbot and Slater,Piddle Brewery, CLP ComputerSupplies, Dragonfly Networks,Intermusic, Jonathan White &Associates.Full results can be found onhttp://tarrantvalley10.webs.com

Blandford Bowling Club's junior members who competed for theAstin Trophy, with back (3rd from right) the eventual winner JoshTraves, and (front left) junior winner Joe Traves.

THE junior section of BlandfordBowling Club contested theAstin Trophy, presented in 1999by the late Alan Astin, a formerclub president.The competition, arranged by

Steve Clayton, was a fun eventthat tested the skills of theyoung bowlers. There were sixtests ranging from target bowlsto knocking down skittles andnearest the jack. All the contestants had attendedthe junior bowls coachingcourse which has been held onSaturday mornings. The trophy was won by JoshTraves with Alice Couling runner-up. The Junior Novice Trophywas won by Joe Traves and therunner-up was Jamie Wood.Club captain Tony Ives is keento attract junior bowlers and hasinitiated a programme of coach-ing courses and bringing bowl-ing to local schools. The weather was kind to theBowling Club as 20 bowlers metto contest the President'sHandicap Trophy when winnersand runners-up of each roundrobin league went on to aknockout format. Semi-finalists were Keith Pearceagainst Bob Trethewey andPeter Preen against BrianSimonds. Keith and Brian werevictorious and went on to con-test a very close final in whichBrian was the winner.

Junior bowlers show skills

September 2012 11

FOCUS on charities

DORSET Cancer Research UKpatron Della Jones received acheque for £1,500 raised at a 12-hour Jiveathon Marathon.The event was staged by twowomen at the Hamworthy club inMerley and supported by partici-pants from Blandford and sur-rounding villages, as well as fromas far afield as Gosport,Southampton, Salisbury andSwindon."I went and started the Jiveathonfor them and it was magical tosee the dancers of all ages per-forming some intricate and fierymoves, and dancing to some trulyold-fashioned jive music," saidMrs Jones.

"It brought back many happymemories of my mis-spent youth!The dresses of the dancers wereall very 50s and 60s romanticflowing style - truly magical."My daughter Louise ran a stallselling CRUK merchandise andanother friend ran a cake stall tohelp feed the competitors and sellto wellwishers, which all helpedtowards the grand total."A similar event is being plannedfor the New Year, for which a tar-get of £3,000 has been set.Mrs Jones recently celebrated her80th birthday with a garden partyat her home in WinterborneZelston. A collection raised another£132.70 for Cancer Research UK.

DONATIONS are being soughtfor a fabric sale to raise funds forNaomi House and Jack's Placehospices, which cater for the life-threatened children and theyoung people of seven counties,including Wiltshire and Dorset. June Davey and friends are ask-ing people to look through theirsewing baskets, cupboards andlofts to de-clutter their homes andrecycle for the charity by con-tributing unused fabric of anylength, which could be used foranything from patchwork to cur-tains or clothes. "We also hope to sell haberdash-ery, buttons, tapestry kits, knittingneedles, balls of wool, curtains,

unopened pots of paint and newrolls of wallpaper," said Mrs Davey."Please help us to help these chil-dren and give respite and care tothem and their families."The sale will be at TarrantKeynston village hall, onSaturday, 22nd September,10am-4pm. Light refreshmentswill be available. There is also apossibility of renting space for afabric-related stall.Nigel Sheppard of Symonds andSampson has kindly agreed to bethe local drop-off point forBlandford from where Mrs Daveywill collect donated items. For fur-ther information, contact her on01258 830377.

Jiveathon organisers Donna (left) and Philly (right), with DellaJones of Dorset Cancer Research UK.

Fabrics mean funds

Jivers raise £1,500

September 201212

STAFF and residents at CastlemanHouse, a residential care home inBlandford, were in party spirit on 20thJuly when they celebrated the highestaward of Beacon status in the GoldStandard Framework scheme for end-of-life care. They were joined by Andrew Archibald,head of community services at DorsetCounty Council, and Hilary Lawson,end-of-life care facilitator, who hasguided the home's GSF co-ordinatorsKim Trowbridge and Jan Phillipsthrough the qualification procedure.Mr Archibald said that four of theseven county care homes in Dorsethave now qualified under the frame-work, but Beacon status was the bestthey could get.Home manager Jan Thorne said it wasa privilege to be in the post which shehas held for the last 12 months, afterstarting as an evening care assistant,and that the Beacon status was some-thing which could not have beenachieved without the co-operation ofher staff."This is a fantastic home and I can'ttell you how proud I am to have got it.Jan and Kim have been absolutestars," she said.

Castleman pridein achievingBeacon status

Manager Jan Thorne (left) and staff KimTrowbridge (standing) and Jan Phillips, whoacted as Gold Standard Framework co-ordina-tors at Castleman House in Blandford, whichhas earned Beacon status.

Care home feescan be simplyavoided

IT has come as no surprise to my colleaguesand me that the Government has blocked theindependent Dilnot Commission's FairerCare Funding report which recommended acap on the amount an individual should haveto pay towards their social care. The Government considers such a cap unaf-fordable. The generally accepted view is that one in10 of us can expect to face care costs ofmore than £100,000. We know from the bit-ter experience of an increasing number ofour clients and their families that, with carehome fees approaching £1,000 a week,many people will pay a lot more than£100,000.The good news is that simple steps can betaken by couples to protect at least half oftheir assets from care home fees. To a largedegree payment of care home fees is option-al and the key is to plan ahead.If you, your parents or other family membershave not already taken these relatively sim-ple but effective steps, please contactJerome Dodge on 01258 483616 or emailJerome.dodge@blanchardsbailey.co.uk forfurther information.

A legal view, by Jeremy Dodge,of Blanchards Bailey

September 2012 13

Shakespeare comesfrom Stratford to thevillage pub car park

New author holdsbook-signingLOCAL author Marian Matthewsis holding a book launch andsigning session at BlandfordLibrary on Saturday 22ndSeptember, between 2pm and4pm, for her newly published firstbook, 'Aspects of Reality - auser's guide to the universe'.Marian seeks in her book to com-bine science with spirituality andphilosophy to make complexissues on the nature of realityaccessible for everyone.The book is available fromArchive Publishing on 01202848352 or via www.transperson-albooks.com. Marian is availableto give talks and may be contact-ed on 01258 456397.

The audience, under cover andseated on hay bales of hay inthe White Horse car park,enjoyed the production.

THE days when travelling playerstoured the country to perform inmarket places and public houseswere brought back to the WhiteHorse at Stourpaine by theShooting Stars Theatre Company.The Stratford Fringe 2012 award-winners, for their production ofShakespeare's 'Much Ado AboutNothing', featured in one of thekey roles Joe Sargent, the son ofWhite Horse licensee ChrisSargent.Joe is also a familiar face in theWestcountry, having appearedseveral times at the Swan andOctagon Theatre in Yeovil and ina number of popular TV series.The enterprising Chris Sargent,who has already introduced asuccessful village store and postoffice to his pub, invited Joe,director Helen Crosse and com-pany to take a break from theirtour of venues in Stratford,London and the Home Countiesto perform in the Dorset pub carpark. A sparkling performanceproduced a standing ovation forthe cast and company.

Actor Joe Sargent’s father,Chris, licensee of the WhiteHorse at Stourpaine, intro-duces the Shooting Stars’ pro-duction of Much Ado AboutNothing.

Am-drams plan a murderousnight of fun and mysteryBLANDFORD Amateur Dramatics (BAD) is alive, well and kicking fol-lowing the departure of its founder, Lee Harris, for St Albans.Under the temporary chairmanship of Clive Newlin, plans have beendrawn up for the year, which include a Murder Mystery night in theUnited Reformed Church Hall on 17th November.Written by Helen Hakimzadeh with the title ‘A Fete Worse Than Death’,it is an audience participation performance, with the hall arranged as avillage fete in the 1920s.Auditions are on Monday 3rd September in the URC hall at 7.30pm foranyone wishing to join the cast playing important parts in the story tohelp the audience guess the identity of the murderer.Volunteers are being asked to help backstage with setting up the hall,dressing it in 1920s style, and organising costumes and catering.Voluntary help is also needed with publicity for the show – just attendon audition night to get more information.

Big prizes elude arts show entrantsTHE Blandford area produced no trophy winners when the 98th annualexhibition of the Dorset Arts and Crafts Association was held atBovington Middle School in early August.But there were plenty of local exhibitors, including last year's quiltingwinner Roy Dickinson, of Blandford, who was restricted to entering thechampion of champions competition.Sue Hutchings, of Charlton Marshall, the newly appointed fine artsdirector for the exhibition, gave daily demonstrations of her work as anartist and displayed certificates and awards received in the past fromthe association.

FOCUS on arts

September 201214

FOCUS on schools

OLYMPIC ideals of excellence, friendship andrespect were at the centre of a Festival ofSport for students from the Blandford Schools'Network held at the Blandford Camp on 11thand 12th July.The first day involved Years 3, 4 and 5 inactivities including Quicksticks, hockey,Quadkid, athletics and rounders. Sports lead-

ers from The Blandford School helped to runthe event.Day two saw Years 6 to 10 taking part in simi-lar activities with the addition of street netballand street football. Unfortunately the weatherbrought Day 2 to an early close.Jill Bailey, sports co-ordinator, said: "So closeto the Olympics these two days were

designed to give students a taste of what itmight be like to be competing. "The students wore different coloured t-shirtsto reflect the teams they were representingand these were all named after theContinents. All competitors were wonderfullybehaved and,despite the weather, enjoyedthemselves."

A mass start for one of the events in the schools Festival of Sport at Blandford Camp.

The Olympic ideals reflected in Festival of Sport

A classic story of gangs and romanceNEARLY 50 Blandford Schoolstudents and musicians from thelocal community took part in aproduction of the classic musicalRomeo and Juliet tragedy, WestSide Story, which was sponsoredby Chesterton Humberts andsupported by the Blandford &District Lions Club.Matinees and evening perform-ances on 19th and 20th Julywere open to the public, whosaw the two feuding street gangsin 1950s New York, the Sharksand the Jets.White American Jets memberTony, played by Joel Mariner fromyear 10, and Maria, the sister of aPuerto Rican Shark, played byZoe Hickson from year 11, fall inlove at a dance at a gym.

They know they cannot betogether because of the warbetween the gangs, but thatdoesn't prevent their star-crossedlove-match from leading totragedy.Speaking about this year's pro-duction, Becky Mutimer, head ofperforming and creative arts,said: "We are really pleased withhow this year's show cametogether. The students had a rel-atively short but concentratedtime to learn their lines anddance routines, to minimise theeffect on the main curriculum. "We were really fortunate to havethe support of ChestertonHumberts and the musicians,some of whom travelled morethan 20 miles to take part."

Some of the cast members of The Blandford School production ofWest Side Story.

September 2012 15

FOCUS on schools

Sixth-formers from The Blandford School gather for their end-of-term prom at Compton Acres.

THE Blandford School's annualSixth Form Prom took place ona balmy summer's evening atthe Italian Gardens, ComptonAcres, near Bournemouth. The students enjoyed a lovelyevening in wonderful surround-ings to celebrate the end oftheir academic life at theschool. Many staff members attendedand were impressed, not onlyby the venue, but also by theimpeccable behaviour of thestudents. Presentations tookplace, with several teachersand tutors receiving gifts fromthe Prom Committee. Helen Garner, sixth-form transi-tion and progression co-ordina-tor, said: "We managed tochoose the one sunny eveningthat week and this helped tomake it a wonderful occasionfor those in a really specialyear group who never fail toshow courtesy and respect tostaff and each other."

A garden setting for prom

September 201216

Up the garden pathAn occasional series of articles with a gardening theme.With Heather and Elaine from the Blandford MuseumJubilee Garden

DAVID Ivor Green's initials gavehim the name for his business -Digwells, the garden shop whichwas started in 1986 just off theMarket Place in Blandford towncentre.David was a Dorset country boywith a keen interest in plantsdeveloping as he grew up. Afterworking in the building trade heset up as a landscape gardenerand gained a good local reputa-tion for his work.When an opportunity arose torent land from local businessmanDavid Cherrit, David saw theopportunity to start a small plantnursery and shop adjacent to thecurrent shop site, erecting shedsand greenhouses to enable him

to grow many of the plants hesold.David took the chance to buysome nearby derelict property,renovating empty store rooms fora new nursery and two townhouses, one of which he still livesin with his partner Wendy.The present garden shop buildingis said to date back to about 1730,escaping destruction by the GreatFire of 1731. The shop stocks awide range of garden products,sundries and plants, drawing regu-lar customers from as far away asSherborne and Poole. The attraction for many cus-tomers is the chance to buy as lit-tle or as much as they need byway of loose vegetable and grass

seed, potato tubers, bird food andfresh eggs. They also value theexperienced horticultural advicegiven by both David and Wendyand the good-quality plants.With the opening of a superstoreon the edge of town about ten

years ago, Digwells' customernumbers have dropped by abouthalf. However, many return regu-larly for an old-style service andthere are many local residentswho prefer to support a truly localbusiness.

Rotary pledges to support local youthTHE new president of the RotaryClub of Blandford, Martin 'Nic'Nicol, has pledged its support to

the youth of the town, describingthem as 'the future of Blandford'."We want to help them achieve

their potential and to provide sup-port to those who need assis-tance," he said when he took overfrom retiring president VicChippendale at the start of a newRotary year.Under its banner of 'Serviceabove self', Blandford Rotary isplanning an ambitious pro-gramme to support both localand international communities,and one of the main priorities willbe supporting local young peo-ple. "We already run a variety ofyoung people's projects, such asthe Rotary Young Chef competi-tion, the annual Young Musicianof the Year competition, the'Youth Speaks' public speakingevent and the 'Kids Out' day atPaultons Park for children with

special needs," he said."We want to extend our work withyoung people by getting moreinvolved with the schools andorganisations like Youth Aid,Treads and the Youth Club." The club recently presentedcheques totalling £1,770 to theBlandford Cub Scouts and 1stWoodcutts Scouts, part of theproceeds from the successfulJubilee Festival in June. The twoscout groups made a magnificentcontribution by supplying andmanning a wide range of funactivities and stalls.The club is already planning thenext Blandford Spring Festival,which will take place on BankHoliday Monday, 27th May in theSealy Suite and gardens of theCrown Hotel.

Blandford Rotary President Nic Nicol presents a cheque toAssistant Cub Leader Karen King and members of the PortmanCub Pack, part of the Blandford Scout Group.

September 2012 17

FOCUS on serviceFundraisers providea double boost forlife-saving chances

Vulnerable people in need of friends

Can you help cancer patients?

TWO new defibrillators havebeen presented to organisationsin Blandford to improve thechances of life-saving first-aid tolocal residents.The Blandford School was on thereceiving end of a presentation,by the Blandford & District Lions,of equipment costing £1,275, pur-chased by them and supplied bySouth West Ambulance Services.The necessary addition to theirmedical supply kit is dedicated toformer pupil Ben Andrews, theteenager who died in a road acci-dent near Blandford earlier thisyear, and whose mother,Samantha, is a member ofBlandford Lions.The presentation took place dur-ing the interval of the end-of-termproduction of West Side Story atthe school, with which the Lionshave had a strong association.A recently formed Alpha Leo(Junior Lions) club based at theschool is designed to attractunder-18s into membership.Others interested in joiningBlandford Lions or learning moreabout what they do should con-tact Tony Ives, club secretary, on01929 472336.A second defibrillator was pre-sented to the Blandford St John

Ambulance First Respondersgroup on the occasion of a train-ing and enrolment event at theFarquharson Arms in Pimperne.Mac McLaughlin, deputy chair-man of the Friends of BlandfordCommunity Hospital, attended toofficially hand over the equipmentand associated accessorieswhich had been purchased by theFriends.Mr McLaughlin expressed onbehalf of the Friends their sincerethanks to the people of Blandfordand Sturminster Newton for theircontinued support and generosityto their two charity shops andtheir fundraising events heldthroughout the year which hasenabled the Friends in the last 12months to distribute £60,000 tolocal health-related communityorganisations.He also thanked all the volun-teers of the First RespondersGroup for the help they havegiven to the community and thelives they have saved, saying hewas assured that the new equip-ment will enable their teams to bebetter prepared to continue theirservice in supporting the localambulance service.To join Blandford RespondersDivision (aged over 18) contactJackie Vacher on 07879003567.

Mac McLaughlin, deputy chairman of the Friends of BlandfordCommunity Hospital, presents a defibrillator purchased by theFriends to Jackie Vacher of the Blandford First Responders.

DORSET Advocacy is looking for volunteers to bepart of a peer advocacy scheme to empower olderpeople affected by cancer to have a more assertivevoice. Volunteers are being recruited to train for the rolewhich, in partnership with MacMillan CancerSupport, will offer advocacy support to over-50s whoare struggling to cope with the major life-changingexperience that cancer brings.Patients, carers and people who know of someoneaffected by cancer will become independent peeradvocates so they can access the treatment theyneed, help them make informed decisions abouttreatment, care and to access the curative treat-

ments they need.

All volunteers involved in the project will need tocomplete a MacMillan online training course, a selfstudy course taking about two hours to complete.They will be comprehensively trained and will beable to claim normal expenses.

For information on how to become a volunteer advo-cate for any of the projects and how to apply call01305 251033 and speak to Chris Harker (VolunteerCo-ordinator), or visit the Dorset Advocacy websitewww.dorsetadvocacy.co.uk to download an applica-tion form. All applicants will require two referencesand will be CRB checked.

A NEW befriending schemehas been launched inBlandford to offer vulnerablepeople in and around the townhelp with simple everydaytasks.The scheme to provide low-level support to people athome, helping them remainindependent and preventingsocial isolation, has beendeveloped by DorsetPartnership for Older PeopleProgramme (POPP), WRVS andNHS Dorset.

They identified that there werepeople in the town andsurrounding area who couldbenefit from help to hear aboutlocal news, do their shopping,or give a carer respite time.Launched last October andsupported by Volunteer Centre,Dorset, it allows individuals toask for help, and healthcareprofessionals, friends and fam-ily members to refer people toa local co-ordinator who workswith a team of volunteers tofind the skills to best fulfil therequirement. Everyone who applies to be afriend will receive training andongoing support, includingbeing CRB checked.Those interested in gettinginvolved can contact the co-ordinator on 07736 825287 orspeak to Lisa Knight at NHSDorset on 01305 368900.

For more news & pictures go to theForum Focus websitewww.forumfocus.co.uk

September 201218

FOCUS on groups

Blandford Civic Society members outside Silk Hay, the Stalbridgehome of author Hilary Townsend.

A trip back in time forcivic society membersFOURTEEN members ofBlandford and District CivicSociety travelled to Stalbridge fora guided tour of Silk Hay, an his-toric house in the centre of thetown which can trace its roots

back to medieval times.Owner Hilary Townsend hasspent the last 30 years restoringthe property, and re-discoveringits history, its architecture and thetrials and tribulations of dealingwith builders and conservationlegislation.Civic Society chairman PeterWarrington said: "At the end ofher very instructive and entertain-ing guided tour, I bought a copyof the book which I have sinceread with interest."I rather wish I had read it beforeour visit, because I would haveknown more about what to lookout for."The society is keen to organisemore visits to historic venues. Forinformation call 01258 459346.Silk Hay by Hilary Townsend, ispublished by Matador, priced£9.99. ISBN 9781780881461

Carnival will seere-run of the torch APOLOGIES to Kate Sandersonof Dorchester, and to our futureQueen, for a royal gaff in lastmonth's Forum Focus when wereported that it was KateMiddleton who carried the torchthrough Blandford town centre onJuly 12th.The gremlins got in to transposetheir surnames and we would liketo reassure the public that theDuchess of Cambridge was nottrying to upstage her mother-in-law in the Olympic opening cere-mony.Kate Sanderson earned her placeas a torch-bearer through hercommitment to netball in Dorsetand for her support to her fatherin his battle against cancer.There could be another chance tosee her in action whenBlandford's Olympic torch bearerJack Delaney takes part in theBlandford Carnival parade onSaturday September 8th. Jackhas invited his fellow torch bear-ers to join him and has so farsecured the promises of six ofthem to carry the torch throughthe town.Jack, 17, of The BlandfordSchool, said: "I have alwayswanted to be part of the carnivaland now I have a chance. It willbe an opportunity for those whocouldn't make the torch day tosee the torch bearers and havetheir photo taken. "We are involving schoolchildrenand the U Support charity, whichoffers experiences to childrenwho are disabled, disadvantagedor suffering life-limiting conditions,by attending sporting and culturalevents throughout the UK." Jack's 13-year-old brotherMichael will the followingSaturday be running in the junior

Great North Run in Newcastle forU Support, to which Jack is thecharity's ambassador. Also taking pride of place in thisyear's parade will be CarnivalPrincess, ten-year-old KizzyMiller, of Richmond Road,Blandford, a pupil of ArchbishopWake Primary School, her atten-dants Amelie Ball, aged 7, andKaylee Lake, aged 9, both pupilsat Milldown Primary, and MissTeenager Shannon Greaves. It ishoped, with our Diamond JubileeQueen Val Cowley will also takepart.The floats will be leaving HollandWay just after 7pm and headingout up Salisbury Street, alongKings Road, down St LeonardsAvenue into Wimborne Road,East Street and the Market Place.Let's give them a resoundingreception and keep the Olympicand Jubilee flags flying for theCarnival in 2012.

Kizzy Miller is Blandford's 2012Carnival Princess who will betaking part in the parade.

September 2012 19

FOCUS on youthPublic recognitionfor a gatheringof young heroes

Winners at the Great Dorset Steam Fair Young Heroes Awardspresentation.

YOUNGSTERS from theBlandford area were rewarded fortheir efforts and courage whenthe cream of Dorset's youth wasrecognised at the Great DorsetSteam Fair Young Heroesawards.They had been nominated bytheir schools and individuals fortheir achievements in education,sport, care in the home and com-munity and bravery in the face ofillness. The scheme was estab-lished by steam fair founder MikeOliver.The top President's award of theMichael Oliver Trophy, presentedby Mr Oliver's widow Jean, wentto a 15-year-old pupil of theGryphon School in Sherborne,Cyrus Vahidi, for his courage infacing a diagnosis of a rare formof cancer, osteosarcoma.Among the other awards present-ed at the ceremony in Sturminster

Newton Exchange by steam fairmanaging director Martin Oliverand members of the judgingpanel, chaired by Della Jones,were:Flinn Sessions, 11, ofWinterborne Zelston, for his serv-ice to the village community; NatThorne, 15, of Shillingstone, forhis achievement in soccer refer-eeing and dedication to sport;and runners-up Tilly-SunshineHunt, 11, of Durweston School,for her contribution to her school;and to Felix Morris-Duffin, 17, ofthe Blandford School for his workin the community. Highly commended for educationand drama was Amelia Tanner,17; for dedication JohnMcGuiness, 18; and for sportEmily Sym, 17, John McCarthy,15, and Greg Hart, 17, all of TheBlandford School; and, AbbiSmith, 11, for sport and service toDurweston School.

Blandford Scouts and Explorers at the top of Snowdon.

Scouts climb to meeta triple challengeA GROUP of youngsters involved in scouting in Blandford havereturned victorious from their summer camp after climbing theThree Peaks in three days.Youngest of the 13 Scouts and Explorers taking part was 11 and theoldest 17. They completed the 1085 metres of Snowdon, the high-est peak in Wales, in five-and-a-half hours.Scafell Pike in the Lake District, the highest point in England at 978metres, took six-and-a-half hours, and Ben Nevis, the highest pointin Scotland and in the UK at 1344 metres, was shrouded in mistand not all the group were able to complete the climb, but thosewho did took seven hours.Afterwards the Scouts were also involved in geo caching, segways,canyoning, rope climbing, map reading and navigation skills.

Treads needs offers of helpWITHIN the next few weeks Treads youth information centre is hopingto open its doors to the Blandford Job Club, which will join the CitizensAdvice Bureau, Shelter and the Dorset Credit Union in the new com-munity service centre in Bere's Yard.The collaborative approach enables Treads, established to provideadvice, information and guidance to people aged 11-19, to harness theskills necessary to help them stand on their own feet while also bene-fiting other members of the community to overcome challenges.Treads needs volunteers to share their skills and talents to help others.If you enjoy fundraising, have administrative experience, can offerpractical skills that would be useful to Treads and the people they sup-port, or just want to give something back to the community, contactTreads at admin@treads.org.uk. Offers of short-term assistance orwith one-off events are as also appreciated.

September 201220

SEPTEMBERSaturday 1st and Sunday 2ndSeptember: final two days of theGreat Dorset Steam Fair, gatesopen 8am, evening rate from 5pm,reduced prices Sunday. Buses fromMarsh and Ham car park inBlandfordMonday 3rd September: Blandford& District Floral group meets UnitedReformed Church Hall, 2.15pm.Demonstration by Gretchen White,'Nature's Contrasts'. Visitors £4,membership £15, raffle, cup of teaand biscuitsMonday 3rd Septemer: BlandfordAmateur Dramatics auditions forforthcoming murder mystery evening,United Reformed Church Hall, 7.30pmTuesday 4th September: BFPCAllsorts Craft Club, Parish Centre,6.45-8.30, all welcome for a chatabout crafts and a cuppa, £1.50Wednesday 5th September:Carnival Bingo, Corn Exchange.Support your local Carnival in thelead-up Saturday 8th September: BlandfordCarnival - parade from 7pm, HollandWay to the Market PlaceSaturday 8th September: Open day,Blandford Fashion Museum, as partof Architectural Heritage Week, seewww.edht.org.ukSaturday 8th September: BlandfordRugby Club 1st XV first match of theseason (Sherborne at home) followed

by 70s theme night in theclubhouseSaturday 8thSeptember: CharltonMarshall Annual Fun Dayand Dog Show on theplaying fieldSaturday and Sunday8th and 9th September:Sturminster Cheese Festival, 10am to5pm. See. www.cheesefestival.co.ukfor all the latest newsSunday 9th September: BlandfordSt Mary Jubilee Fun Day Fete,Bryanston Court, Chettell Way, 2-5pm. Free entry for bouncy castle,cake competition, refreshments,tombola, face painting, hat competi-tion, children's activities, raffleSunday 9th September: IwerneMinster car boot sale on the ParishFieldTuesday 11th September: BlandfordMuseum Community Forces Projectinformation afternoon, 3-6pm at themuseum, for all interested in inter-viewing or being interviewedWednesday 12th September:Guided tours of the Bastard Studyabove Age UK, East Street, Blandfordfor Dorset Architectural HeritageWeek. See www.edht.org.ukFriday 14th September: Film Night,Durweston village hall, Best ExoticMarigold Hotel, 7.30pmFriday 14th September:Presentation and seminar on

Continuing Care ofthe elderly byElizabeth Webb, 4 to6pm, The Grange,Milldown Road,Blandford, placesmust be reserved bycalling 01258458214Saturday 15th

September: Clean Up Blandford,10am Parish Church. Join membersto help keep the streets clear ofpaper, bottles and general rubbishSaturday 15th September: Freeover-50s drop-in with BlandfordArea Fiftyplus, 9.30 to noon, andCredit Union advice session 'Beatthe Loan Sharks' 1.30 to 4pm, CornExchange, BlandfordSaturday 15th September: PartyFun Night at Colin's CommunityClubSunday 16th September: 2.30-4.30pm Traditional English tea partyalso vintage and embroidered linen forsale. In the Anne Biddlecombe Hall,Tarrant Keynston, for All SaintsChurch Tarrant Keynston Flower FundWednesday 19th September:Blandford Townswomen's Guild cof-fee morning, Methodist Church Hall,The Close, 10am to noonThursday 20th September: OpenEvening, Blandford School, 6.30 to8.30pmSaturday 22nd September: Fabric

Sale in support of Naomi House andJack's Place children's hospices,Tarrant Keyneston village hall, 10amto 4pm. Light refreshments. To donateor rent stall space call 01258 830377Saturday 22nd September: Booklaunch and signing with MarianMatthews, local author of 'Aspects ofReality', Blandford Library 2-4pmSunday 23rd September: WeddingFair, Crown Hotel, Blandford, 10amto 5pmMonday 24th September:Community Open Morning,Blandford School, 9am to 1pmFriday September 28: Blandfordand District U3A celebrates its tenthanniversary in 2012 with an openmeeting, 2pm at Durweston VillageHall. Talk on 17th century Dorchesterand information on U3A activities.Free entry, tea and cakes 50p. Fordetails see www.blandfordu3a.co.uk Saturday 29th September: A DorsetRural Music School cabaret concertand party in celebration of DRMS'65th anniversary, Corn Exchange,Blandford, 7.30pm. Live music, food,bar. Tickets include buffet supper fromDRMS, The Close, Blandford, 01258455032Sunday 30th September: unveilingof Blandford Museum VictorianGarden Club's Jubilee Mosaic, timetbcSunday 30th September: ThreeOkefords Preservation Society annualploughing match

Entries in this diary arefree of charge. If youhave an event youwould like included,

please send details toNicci Brown, 01258

459346 or emails.n.b@btinternet.com

Forum Focus - forthcoming meetings & eventsPicture courtesy of Scott Traversari

AS the rest of the world watched the finalevents of the London Olympics, scores ofyoungsters from Blandford and across thecounty held their own demonstration and cele-bration of sporting skills on the Blandford skatepark on Stour Meadows.The Blandford Skatefest took place on Friday toSunday, August 10th to 12th, when the young-

sters exhibited all the speed and agility, respect foreach other's achievement and care for their welfareas had been displayed during London 2012.But despite BMX now being an Olympic sport,there was no suggestion that the thrills and spills ofskateboarding and rollerblading should becomepart of the Olympiad.One young participant declared: "This is anextreme sport which should never be subject to therules and regulations of the Olympics." Freestyle sessions and competitions took placeunder the watchful eye of volunteers fromBlandford Youth Centre and members of BlandfordBoards and Blades, the group who campaigned fora state-of-the-art extreme sports facility in the townprovided nearly 10 years ago by the town council.The promised accompanying workshops andgames to which a grant of £835 was awarded toBlandford Area Youth Centre by the town councilwas absent, apart from the presence of the centre'sOutreach Bus, a barbecue and a few other activi-ties. But area youth leader Andy Price, for whom theskatefest ended a three-week programme of eventsfor young people staged by the youth centre, said:"It was the first skatefest in a number of years anda trial run for what should be a bigger event nextyear. We withdrew some of the workshop activitywhen we realised it was basically a mini-fest."Organiser Lewis Blackburn said: "Overall the daywas great. We did feel let down as it wasn't as bigas it could have been but I am happy with theeffort put in, and it was a good experience."

Skatefest takes off! Help for over-50s

Cabaret eveningAS part of its series of 65th anniver-sary events, the Dorset Rural MusicSchool is hosting a cabaret eveningand concert in the Corn Exchange onSaturday 29th September.It follows events including a folkmusic workshop, a concert at PortRegis School, and a concert atHamworthy Social Club by theWimborne Orchestra.For details call 01258 452511 or go towww.drms-music.co.uk.

A FREE drop-in event with a variety ofinformation stalls of benefit to anyoneover the age of 50 and family carersis being held on Saturday, 15thSeptember, from 9.30am to noon inthe Corn Exchange. A variety of service providers rangingfrom home improvement support tomemory advisors will have standsand refreshments will be available. The event has been organised byBlandford Area Fiftyplus, an inde-pendent forum that aims to promotethe involvement, empowerment andimprovement of quality of life for all50+ residents in the area.For more information, call Val on01258 489368.